Jon awoke Tuesday morning with a splitting headache. Shame, fear and carnal desire had left him tossing and turning into the wee hours on the narrow couch in his office. He popped a handful of aspirin into his mouth and washed it down with coffee as he navigated the familiar streets on his way to the campus. The weather was a perfect match for his mood. The heavy gray clouds were ominous and threatening, thunder rumbled in the distance.
The first thing Jon noticed when he got to class was Sasha's absence. Her desk in the last row sat glaringly empty, a seemingly stark accusation of his behavior the previous day. As he commenced the lecture, Jon's subconscious listed all of the terrible scenarios that could be playing out in the Dean's office at that very moment. He pictured Sasha, her hair in tangles, seated across from the Dean Pritchett as she recounted the scene in his office. He felt nauseous. Swallowing hard, he turned to his class abruptly and said:
"I'm very sorry everyone. I am not feeling well at the moment, so uh, I'm going to call it a day." Smiling weakly, Jon picked up his briefcase and walked out of the room.
Jon called his secretary on his way to the parking lot. He repeated his lie about not feeling well and asked her to cancel the rest of his classes and appointments for the day. Jon was three steps from his car when he heard a lovely feminine voice call his name.
"Professor Dowd," Sasha was right on his heels, "Hi!"
Sasha was wearing a pair of faded jeans that sat low on her hips, a tiny blue tee shirt bearing the name of a rock band stopped a full inch above the waist band of her jeans. Jon's eyes were drawn to the expanse of smooth bare skin. He spied the twinkle of a navel piercing and his cock stirred in his trousers.
"Hi, Sasha." Jon smiled weakly at her.
"I'm sorry I missed class today." She moved closer to him and he took a step back, his back side hitting the driver side door of his sedan.
"Oh, I... um didn't notice," Jon stumbled over the words as a waft of her jasmine scented perfume invaded his nostrils.
"Are you going home?" Sasha eyed his briefcase a bewildered look on her face.
"Yes - I'm not feeling well." Jon lied.
"Did you get a chance to go over my latest paper?" Sasha raised her eyebrows suggestively.
"No." He swallowed hard and worked to push the inappropriate feelings away.
Sasha looked puzzled. She waited for him to say more.
"I - was very busy last night." Jon coughed, "I - Sasha, this is wrong. I shouldn't have done that yesterday. It's not right."
Hurt bloomed in her eyes.
"I don't understand, I thought..." She let her voice trail off.
"I just," Jon stuttered, "I could lose my job - and...I'm married."
"You don't...want...to read my story?" Hurt and embarrassment colored her face and her eyes filled with tears. Large fat raindrops began to fall.
"No, please don't cry." Jon attempted to back peddle, "I do want to read your story, it's just..."
"No, you don't." Sasha stepped back and turned to leave.
"Wait!" Jon begged, "Please don't go."
She stopped and the pace of the rain increased. Jon opened his car door and gestured Sasha to the passenger's side.